The M’s are calling up Kade Anderson to start Saturday’s game, and honestly, Mariners fans, this might be the only real spark of excitement we get over these last few weeks of the season. After a brutal stretch with a heartbreaking loss to the Astros last weekend and an enormous 4-7 loss to the Brewers on Monday, our M’s sit at a disappointing 60-68. That nine-game road trip wasn’t a total disaster, we scraped out a 4-5 record against two of the league’s best plus a series win against a division leader. Still, it leaves us barely clinging to the fringe of the playoff picture. The debut of our top prospect, Kade Anderson, is a chance to finally see some light amidst the gloom, even if the team can’t pull it together for a late run.
The Brutal Reality of This Cubs Series
This weekend, we’re facing the Chicago Cubs, who are straight up legit at 74-54. They’ve been a rollercoaster this year, famously hitting two separate 10-game win streaks within a month, only to crash with a 10-game losing streak right after. But don’t let that fool you. They’ve weathered a ton of pitching injuries, found reinforcements, and settled in as one of the best teams in the National League. Seriously, they’ve got the best record in the NL since the All-Star break and are making a late season push for the NL Central lead. Our M’s batting ranks 10th in the AL with a 100 wRC+, while the Cubs are first with 111. Our fielding is a dismal 14th with -35 FRV, compared to their league-leading 63. This is going to be tough.
Crow-Armstrong Is Giving Bobby Witt Jr. a Run For His Money
A huge reason for the Cubs’ success? Their MVP candidate Pete Crow-Armstrong. This dude is absolutely crushing it. He’s not just a Gold-Glove defender in center field, he’s taken an enormous step forward at the plate this year, with a 154 wRC+. Get this, he’s currently 1.3 fWAR ahead of Shohei Ohtani’s *combined* batting and pitching total, and a full 2.3 fWAR ahead of Bobby Witt Jr., who’s the AL’s WAR leader. That’s insane! Behind him, Seiya Suzuki (133 wRC+), Alex Bregman (111 wRC+), and Michael Busch (109 wRC+) are all dangerous hitters. Our pitching staff, which is 6th in FIP- for starters and 7th for the bullpen, is gonna have their hands full.
Looking at the FanGraphs odds, Friday’s game with Emerson Hancock on the mound gives us a 54.3% win chance against Matthew Boyd. Saturday is the big one with Kade Anderson making his debut, and we’ve got a 52.7% chance against David Peterson. Sunday, Bryan Woo goes up against Shota Imanaga, and that’s our best shot with a 61.5% win probability. Let’s hope Anderson brings the heat and Woo can close out the series strong. The M’s need to show us something this weekend to keep that playoff dream even remotely alive.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Lookout Landing.
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